Brace for shipping vehicles in freight cars



Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,351

v. P. RUMELY BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES IN FREIGHT CARS Filed Jan. 30. 1925 Patented Nov. 29, 192.7.

. UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE.

viNoENT r. BUMELY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, VASSIGNOR To nunson MOTOR CAR COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF :vrrcnrean.

BRACE FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES INrnnIGnT cans.

Application filed January 30, 1925. Serial .No. 5,814.

This invention relates to a device for bracing vehicles-while in transit in freight cars 'which is of the general character of thedevice shown in my. co-pending application. Serial. No. 741,828, brace'for shipping vehicles in freight cars, tiled October 6, 1924.. The brace shown inniy COp11Cll11g application is a compression brace which includes rigid members which extend from the vehicle axle to the'car floor and prevent forward and backward movement of the vehicle. Due to'the rigidity'a'nd stiffness of the bracing members, the strains to which the bracing members are subjected are transmitted fron'i the axle of the vehicle to thecar floor. The present invention has for its object to provide a brace which is capable of holding a vehicle in position on the floor of a freight car by means of tension members which prevent the movement of the vehicle due to th pull which they exert. The tension members are secured to an axle of the vehicle and are firmly anchored to the freight car floor, the members extending upwardly to the axle ofthe vehicle. The tension method of holding the vehicle'sin position has considerable value in that. a brace thus applied tothe vehicle not. only-prevents a longitudinal movement of the vehicle, but exerts an angular downward pull onthe vehicle thereby restraining its tendency toward vertical movement during transportation. Many devices for holding vehicles in place during shipment have been used, such as strap or wire hold-downs, metal and wooden bucks which carry the weight of the vehicle and ordinury blocks or chocks placed in front and backof'the wheels. It has also been necessary to use a number of these devices to properly secure the vehicle in place. The strapor wire hold-downs have been made of heavy material making them expensive and the wooden blocksor 'chocks which have been used in addition to the hold-downs have been placed on both sides of each of the four wheels of the vehicle. When the vehicles are secured in this manner and par ticularly when they are equipped with balloon tires, it has been found that the holddowns tend to work loose permitting the wooden blocks or chocks to injure the tires. This is largely due to the tendency of balloon tires to bounce as a result of the shocks to which the freight car issubjected'resulbing in the loosening ofthe hold-downs,

Once the hold-downs are loosenechthe vehido is permitted to move vertically, to rock back and forth between the blocks and to ride up the blocks in one directionor the other as far as permitted by the looseness of thc hold-downs. "-ty present invention not only holds the vehicle against longitudinal movement but holds the wheels of the vehicle down between the wheel blocks and counteracts the tendency oft-he wheels to roll up the block angles. if auxiliary holddowns are used in conjunction with my tension members, the strain on these hold-downs greatly diminished. Furthermore, my brace is of a simple construction and so inexpensive to make as to permit the same to be discarded after asingle shipment so that it need not be returnedto the shipper.

'Another object of my invention is to pro vide a novel anchoring plate for securing the ends of the tension members of my braceto the car floor, this plate being constructed to accommodate the shaped ends of the tension members.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearlydefined in the claims at the close Of this specification.

In said drawings: 1

Fig. l is a diagrammatic View, partly in section, of the forward part of a motor vehicleas secured to the floor of a transport ing car, having my brace applied to the front axle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the inn clined tension members of the brace.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the member shown: in Fig. 2, showing the upper end of the inclined member which is fastened about the vehicle axle. I v

Fig. 4: is a plan viewof the foot of the brace member which'is anchored to the car floor.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of my novel anchoring plate for the foot of the brace member- Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line (3-6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows another form of anchor plate.

-Ref erring to Figs. 1 and 2, at 12 is shown a'portion of the floor of a freight car to which the vehicle is secured. The wheel 13 and tirel t of the vehicle are shown through whieh the apikea hioekei l in poeilion by means oi the blocks or ehoehs; lorated in front and heel; of the tire and spiked to the aar l'leer. it; is the I-beam treat axle of the Vehiele whieh is shown in section to illustrate the application of my braee thereto. The b'aee eoinpr' preformed wire members 17 which are cured in place about the axle 1e and an ehe 'ed at their opposite enda to the height ear lleor ll Each of the members 17 i; beat at its; upper end st as to pass over and around the axle it) to a point; beneath the aale, the ende ol the nielnherr-x heing provided with eyelets illll revered. in plaee about the axle lit by a bolt It will he observed that the enila of an-h ol" the lllilllllll' l t pales aroanal th ee eernem ot the axle It The 'rielienal engagement e'elih l'll! axle at thee i three poinh-i prevents the nielnhere t? From behr; pulled around the axle even when the MOE eevere strain thrown on either ol the members 17.

'lhe :lree lower end or tool of earn oil. th ineznbere ll" lie of einneee form so as to have one or more 'em'ei 15) therein (nee Figs. 4 and a) and lerniinatea in the eyelet fill. bpreially i'erined loot plates 21 are used to anehor the said ends of the members 17 to the ear 'llot r. The plates 21 are provided with hall or spike holes :2! mental their margin; whieh ase'mt in wtftflil'lil gg the plate to the hour ot the vain lilaeh plate 21 provided with a rahaed portion 23. adapted to :mmnanodate the \i'ared and eyelet end oi th members l1. The end oi the member 1.? is: ihali d to lie Hat on the. ear door and. the plate 2i. is placed thereon, the int-lined poi-than of the nieinlwr li' extending; out through the slot lit) in the phlte. The raised or (nipped portion 223 of the plate provided with a series ot spike or nail holes 241 are driven. ()ne were through the eyelet ol' 1, the rer'tangnlar cupped portion if. neded o1 otherwme .SllllPQ-tl as shown l at Lo i'ethe :s \ape oi the waved and eyelet end. in" the members ii. in this eenetrnetien. the een'iplenzentai-y groove :26 in the pleie in addition to the spikes; .Zfimeista in anehorine the mem ers I? to the toot plates and to the ear 'lleor. l t will be understood the male oi' the ension n'ielnbers l? a provided with an many wares If) as an l a eorresponiling number of :pilce mlseje na ls :25) need.

il ln'zl c'lailln irz; l. l tension breve tor yehielee shipped in height (:H'r-l comprising two normally sepaate wire memb the upper ends; of said ernhen-w brine neenreil together, the said KI'rl being); wrapped around the axleol.

new (lei! reil l L \"r 1 (lo in opposite direetions and each iii-+1211" around three rorners of said axle,

members extending to a anpporling saritor said rehiele on oppo.--:ite sides oi? the i and lnea :a for anehorine the .aitl meni- PBS to said surface.

2. A tenieion htraee tor Vehicles i-rhi led in freight are eompriaing two normally separate wire nienil'iersia, the nppe' ends of said members being; :Fttlllfll llogrel her beneath the axle of a vehiele, the said men'ihers aassine" over the axle and erfiemling from the top oilf the latter in opposite directions to a supporting; snrlaee tier said vehicle, and meant; for anehoring the said members to said Eur face. i i

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

VINUEN'I 1. RUMELY. 

